Arcadia invitational

There are only two days a year when one can go stargazing under the glare of brilliant stadium lights. There's also only one place to do it. And at the 43rd Arcadia Invitational that took place on Apr.8 to 10 at Salter Stadium, the stars have never shone brighter.

The official start to the boy's decathlon and girl's heptathlon took place on Thursday Apr. 8. Junior Gunnar Nixon of Sante Fe High School (in Oklahoma!) stole the show, scoring a US#2 all-time 7573. Kevin Lazas of Brentwood High School took third on the US all-time list with a total of 7510 points. The Arcadia Invitational now boasts the top three nationally ranked marks in the men's decathlon.

Ashley Smith, a debutante in the heptathlon, stunned when she turned out an amazing 5225 points with very little experience. The Friday session on Apr. 9, also dubbed the "burning batons" section of the invitational, resulted in many broken school records, some state leaders, and even some US leading times.

Our own Apaches took to the track and set it on fire. Even against strong competition, the Girls Varsity track team took 1st in the seeded 4 by 800 with a time of 9:36. The team consisted of seniors Veronica Yee and Casandra Llamas, junior Catrina McAlister, and freshman Glindyll Mancia.

Three teams of distance boys also ran in the Friday night 4 by 1 mile. The first team,which included senior Charlie Johansen, juniors Ammar Moussa and Eric Garibay, and sophomore Sergio Gonzalez, placed in the invite, finished third. The second and third teams, who ran in the seeded race, took 2nd and 15th, respectively.

Sophomore Alejandra Quintero took part in the open women's 3200 meter race, finishing in a personal record of 11:08.

Other highlights include Long Beach Poly's current US-leading mark of 9:07.55 in the girl's 4 by 800, St. Joseph-by-the-Sea's 7:49 boy's 4 by 800, Xavier College Prep's 20:31 in the girl's 4 by 1 mile, and Dana Hill's 17:27 in the boy's 4 by 1 mile. In the sprints, the Long Beach Poly girls smoked a 1:36 in the girl's 4 by 200, and the Rio Mesa boys posted a stunning 40.69 in the 4 by 100. Even Allyson Felix, the Olympic silver medalist in the 200 meters, stopped by for a visit. She was the athlete of the meet at the very same Arcadia Invitational in her high school days.

With such amazing results from Friday's relays, Saturday came with very high expectations from spectators, coaches, and athletes alike. The Apache girl’s 4 by 400 team participated in the open Saturday morning sessions, and ran a season best of 4:05. Both sophomores Francis Lee and Sergio Gonzalez ran great races in the boy’s rising star miles , placing 4th and 11th.

Junior Catrina McAlister competed in the invitational 3200 meter race. With the crowd going crazy for the petite Arcadia junior, Catrina flew to an jaw-dropping personal best of 10:27. She had gapped the leaders by the one mile mark, and widened it as the raced continued. Positive thoughts and concentration helped her retain her lead. "It was weird to see such a big gap, but I kept telling myself, `This is my track,’” Catrina added.

Junior Ammar Moussa also raced in the 3200--arguably the deepest, most competitive one in meet history. Sixteen boys ran under 9:00 for the 3200, led by an astonishing performance from Jake Hurysz of North Carolina, who lit up the track with an 8:49. Ammar also dipped under the 9:00 mark, finishing in 8:58. Despite running a personal record, Ammar was disappointed with his race. "It was not the weekend I was looking for. I wanted to come out here and prove myself," he explained.

Though the men’s 3200 was the highlight of the Saturday races, other astonishing marks came in the girl’s distance medley relay, where Redondo Union led three teams under the 12 minute mark. Kori Carter of Claremont also defended her 100 hurdles and 300 hurdles title, running US leading marks in both. Ashton Purvis took the 100 and 200 meter races, marking her third straight consecutive win in both events On the boy’s side, Josh Mance popped a 46.79 in the boy’s 400 meter race, and Johnathan Cabral sailed over the hurdles, running a 36.83 in the 300 hurdles.However, the field portion of track and field also deserves some credit, as many top marks emerged from several amazing athletes. Michael Woepse of Mater Dei cleared 17 feet in the men’s pole vault, of which AHS’s David Lim was a part of. Sam Crouser of Oregon posted huge double wins and national marks of 66-04 in the shotput, and 205-10 in the discus.In the women’s long jump, Jenna Prandini leapt an eye-popping 20 feet, 2 inches, and in the men’s, Niko Di Martino jumped a huge 23 feet, 9 inches. True to our motto, when the lights went on, the stars came out.

There are only two days a year when one can go stargazing under the glare of brilliant stadium lights. There's also only one place to do it. And at the 43rd Arcadia Invitational that took place on Apr.8 to 10 at Salter Stadium, the stars have never shone brighter.

The official start to the boy's decathlon and girl's heptathlon took place on Thursday Apr. 8. Junior Gunnar Nixon of Sante Fe High School (in Oklahoma!) stole the show, scoring a US#2 all-time 7573. Kevin Lazas of Brentwood High School took third on the US all-time list with a total of 7510 points. The Arcadia Invitational now boasts the top three nationally ranked marks in the men's decathlon.

The Friday session on Apr. 9, also dubbed the "burning batons" section of the invitational, resulted in several new state leaders, and even some US leading times.

Our own Apaches took to the track and set it on fire. Even against strong competition, the Girls Varsity track team took 1st in the seeded 4 by 800 with a time of 9:36. The team consisted of seniors Veronica Yee and Casandra Llamas, junior Catrina McAlister, and freshman Glindyll Mancia.

Three teams of distance boys also ran in the Friday night 4 by 1 mile. The first team, who ran in the invitational portion,finished third. The second and third teams, who ran in the seeded race, took 2nd and 15th, respectively.

Sophomore Alejandra Quintero took part in the open women's 3200 meter race, finishing in a personal record of 11:08.

Other highlights include Long Beach Poly's current US-leading mark of 9:07.55 in the girl's 4 by 800, St. Joseph-by-the-Sea's 7:49 boy's 4 by 800, Xavier College Prep's 20:31 in the girl's 4 by 1 mile, and Dana Hill's 17:27 in the boy's 4 by 1 mile. In the sprints, the Long Beach Poly girls smoked a 1:36 in the girl's 4 by 200, and the Rio Mesa boys posted a stunning 40.69 in the 4 by 100.

With such amazing results from Friday's relays, Saturday came with very high expectations from spectators, coaches, and athletes alike. The Apache girl’s 4 by 400 team participated in the open Saturday morning sessions, and ran a season best of 4:05. Both sophomores Francis Lee and Sergio Gonzalez ran great races in the boy’s rising star miles , placing 4th and 11th. "You feel a lot of tension and excitement before the race. But once you grab the baton or hear that gun, the adrenaline kicks in and all your nerves fade away," said sophomore Francis Lee.

Junior Catrina McAlister competed in the invitational 3200 meter race. With the crowd going crazy for the petite Arcadia junior, Catrina flew to an jaw-dropping personal best of 10:27. She had gapped the leaders by the one mile mark, and widened it as the raced continued. "It was weird to see such a big gap, but I kept telling myself, `This is my track,’” Catrina added.

Junior Ammar Moussa also raced in the 3200--arguably the deepest, most competitive one in meet history. Sixteen boys ran under 9:00 for the 3200, led by an astonishing performance from Jake Hurysz of North Carolina, who lit up the track with an 8:49. Ammar also dipped under the 9:00 mark, finishing in 8:58. Despite running a personal record, Ammar was disappointed with his race. "It was not the weekend I was looking for. I wanted to come out here and prove myself," he explained.

Though the men’s 3200 was the highlight of the Saturday races, other astonishing marks came in the girl’s sprint races. Kori Carter of Claremont also defended her 100 hurdles and 300 hurdles title, running US leading marks in both. Ashton Purvis took the 100 and 200 meter races, marking her third straight consecutive wins in both events

However, the field portion of track and field also deserves some credit, as many top marks emerged from several amazing athletes. Michael Woepse of Mater Dei cleared 17 feet in the men’s pole vault, of which AHS’s David Lim was a part of.

There are only two days a year when one can go stargazing under the glare of brilliant stadium lights. There's also only one place to do it. And at the 43rd Arcadia Invitational that took place from Apr.8 to 10 at Salter Stadium, the stars have never shone brighter.

The official start to the boy's decathlon and girl's heptathlon took place on Thursday Apr. 8. Junior Gunnar Nixon of Sante Fe High School stole the show, scoring a US#2 all-time 7573. Kevin Lazas of Brentwood High School took third on the US all-time list with a total of 7510 points. The Arcadia Invitational now boasts the top three nationally ranked marks in the men's decathlon.

The Friday session on Apr. 9, also dubbed the "burning batons" section of the invitational, resulted in several new state leaders, and even some US leading times.

Our own Apaches took to the track and set it on fire. Even against strong competition, the Girls Varsity track team took 1st in the seeded 4 by 800 with a time of 9:36. The team consisted of seniors Veronica Yee and Casandra Llamas, junior Catrina McAlister, and freshman Glindyll Mancia.

Three teams of distance boys also ran in the Friday night 4 by 1 mile. The first team, who ran in the invitational portion,finished third. The second and third teams, who ran in the seeded race, took 2nd and 15th, respectively.

Sophomore Alejandra Quintero took part in the open women's 3200 meter race, finishing in a personal record of 11:08.

Other highlights include current US-leading marks in the girl's 4 by 800,4 by 1 mile,and distance medley relay and the boy's 4 by 1 mile and distance medley relay. In the sprints, the Long Beach Poly girls smoked a 1:36 in the girl's 4 by 200, and the Rio Mesa boys posted a stunning 40.69 in the 4 by 100.

With such amazing results from Friday's relays, Saturday came with very high expectations from spectators, coaches, and athletes alike. The Apache girl’s 4 by 400 team participated in the open Saturday morning sessions, and ran a season best of 4:05. Both sophomores Francis Lee and Sergio Gonzalez ran great races in the boys' rising star miles , placing 4th and 11th. "You feel a lot of tension and excitement before the race. But once you grab the baton or hear that gun, the adrenaline kicks in and all your nerves fade away," said sophomore Francis Lee.

Junior Catrina McAlister competed in the invitational 3200 meter race. With the crowd going crazy for the petite Arcadia junior, Catrina flew to an jaw-dropping personal best of 10:27. She had gapped the leaders by the one mile mark, and widened it as the raced continued. "It was weird to see such a big gap, but I kept telling myself, `This is my track,’” Catrina said.

Junior Ammar Moussa also raced in the 3200--arguably the deepest, most competitive one in meet history, and the highlight of the meet. Sixteen boys ran under 9:00 for the 3200, led by an astonishing performance from Jake Hurysz of North Carolina, who lit up the track with an 8:49. Ammar also dipped under the 9:00 mark, finishing in 8:58. Despite running a personal record, Ammar was disappointed with his race. "It was not the weekend I was looking for. I wanted to come out here and prove myself," he explained.

Many top marks also emerged off the track and on the field. Michael Woepse of Mater Dei cleared 17 feet in the men’s pole vault, of which AHS’s David Lim was a part of.

There are only two days a year when one can go stargazing under the glare of brilliant stadium lights. There's also only one place to do it. And at the 43rd Arcadia Invitational that took place from Apr.8 to 10 at Salter Stadium, the stars have never shone brighter. The official start to the boy's decathlon and girl's heptathlon took place on Apr. 8. Junior Gunnar Nixon of Sante Fe High School stole the show, scoring a US#2 all-time 7573.The Arcadia Invitational now boasts the top three nationally ranked marks in the men's decathlon. The Friday session on Apr. 9, also dubbed the "burning batons" section of the invitational, resulted in several new state leaders, and even some US leading times. Our own Apaches took to the track and set it on fire. Even against strong competition, the Girls Varsity track team took 1st in the seeded 4 by 800 with a time of 9:36. The team consisted of seniors Veronica Yee and Casandra Llamas, junior Catrina McAlister, and freshman Glindyll Mancia. Three teams of distance boys also ran in the Friday night 4 by 1 mile. The first team, who ran in the invitational portion,finished third. The second and third teams, who ran in the seeded race, took 2nd and 15th, respectively. Sophomore Alejandra Quintero took part in the open women's 3200 meter race, finishing in a personal record of 11:08. With such amazing results from Friday's relays, Saturday came with very high expectations from spectators, coaches, and athletes alike. The Apache girl’s 4 by 400 team participated in the open Saturday morning sessions, and ran a season best of 4:05. Both sophomores Francis Lee and Sergio Gonzalez ran great races in the boys' rising star miles , placing 4th and 11th. "You feel a lot of tension and excitement before the race. But once you grab the baton or hear that gun, the adrenaline kicks in and all your nerves fade away," said sophomore Francis Lee.

Junior Catrina McAlister competed in the invitational 3200 meter race. With the crowd going crazy for the petite Arcadia junior, Catrina flew to an jaw-dropping personal best of 10:27. She had gapped the leaders by the one mile mark, and widened it as the raced continued. "It was weird to see such a big gap, but I kept telling myself, `This is my track,’” Catrina said.

Junior Ammar Moussa also raced in the 3200--arguably the deepest, most competitive one in meet history, and the highlight of the meet. Sixteen boys ran under 9:00 for the 3200, led by an astonishing performance from Jake Hurysz of North Carolina, who lit up the track with an 8:49. Ammar also dipped under the 9:00 mark, finishing in 8:58. Despite running a personal record, Ammar was disappointed with his race. "It was not the weekend I was looking for. I wanted to come out here and prove myself," he explained.

Many top marks also emerged off the track and on the field. Michael Woepse of Mater Dei cleared 17 feet in the men’s pole vault, of which AHS’s David Lim was a part of.

There are only two days a year when one can go stargazing under the glare of brilliant stadium lights. There's also only one place to do it. And at the 43rd Arcadia Invitational that took place from Apr.8 to 10 [Apr. 8 to Apr. 10] at Salter Stadium, the stars have never shone brighter.The official start to the boy's decathlon and girl's heptathlon took place on Apr. 8. Junior Gunnar Nixon of Sante Fe High School stole the show, scoring a US#2 all-time 7573. The Arcadia Invitational now boasts the top three nationally ranked marks in the men's decathlon.The Friday session on Apr. 9, also dubbed the "burning batons" section of the invitational, resulted in several new state leaders, and even some US leading times.Our own Apaches took to the track and set it on fire. Even against strong competition, the Girls Varsity track team took 1st in the seeded 4 by 800 with a time of 9:36. The team consisted of seniors Veronica Yee and Casandra Llamas, junior Catrina McAlister, and freshman Glindyll Mancia.Three teams of distance boys also ran in the Friday night 4 by 1 mile. The first team, who ran in the invitational portion, finished third. The second and third teams, who ran in the seeded race, took 2nd and 15th, respectively.Sophomore Alejandra Quintero took part in the open women's 3200 meter race, finishing in a personal record of 11:08.With such amazing results from Friday's relays, Saturday came with very high expectations from spectators, coaches, and athletes alike.The Apache girl’s 4 by 400 team participated in the open Saturday morning sessions, and ran a season best of 4:05.Both sophomores Francis Lee and Sergio Gonzalez ran great races in the boys' rising star miles , placing 4th and 11th."You feel a lot of tension and excitement before the race. But once you grab the baton or hear that gun, the adrenaline kicks in and all your nerves fade away," said sophomore Francis Lee.

Junior Catrina McAlister competed in the invitational 3200 meter race. With the crowd going crazy for the petite Arcadia junior, Catrina flew to an jaw-dropping personal best of 10:27. She had gapped the leaders by the one mile mark, and widened it as the raced [race] continued. "It was weird to see such a big gap, but I kept telling myself, `This is my track,’” Catrina said.

Junior Ammar Moussa also raced in the 3200--arguably the deepest, most competitive one in meet history, and the highlight of the meet. Sixteen boys ran under 9:00 for the 3200, led by an astonishing performance from Jake Hurysz of North Carolina, who lit up the track with an 8:49. Ammar also dipped under the 9:00 mark, finishing in 8:58. Despite running a personal record, Ammar was disappointed with his race. "It was not the weekend I was looking for. I wanted to come out here and prove myself," he explained.

Many top marks also emerged off the track and on the field. Michael Woepse of Mater Dei cleared 17 feet in the men’s pole vault, of which AHS’s [AHS'] David Lim [what grade?] was a part of.

There are only two days a year when one can go stargazing under the glare of brilliant stadium lights. There's also only one place to do it. And at the 43rd Arcadia Invitational that took place from Apr. 8 to Apr. 10 at Salter Stadium, the stars have never shone brighter.The official start to the boy's decathlon and girl's heptathlon took place on Apr. 8. Junior Gunnar Nixon of Sante Fe High School stole the show, scoring a US#2 all-time 7573. The Arcadia Invitational now boasts the top three nationally ranked marks in the men's decathlon.The Friday session on Apr. 9, also dubbed the "burning batons" section of the invitational, resulted in several new state leaders, and even some US leading times.Our own Apaches took to the track and set it on fire. Even against strong competition, the Girls Varsity track team took 1st in the seeded 4 by 800 with a time of 9:36. The team consisted of seniors Veronica Yee and Casandra Llamas, junior Catrina McAlister, and freshman Glindyll Mancia.Three teams of distance boys also ran in the Friday night 4 by 1 mile. The first team, who ran in the invitational portion, finished third. The second and third teams, who ran in the seeded race, took 2nd and 15th, respectively.Sophomore Alejandra Quintero took part in the open women's 3200 meter race, finishing in a personal record of 11:08.With such amazing results from Friday's relays, Saturday came with very high expectations from spectators, coaches, and athletes alike.The Apache girl’s 4 by 400 team participated in the open Saturday morning sessions, and ran a season best of 4:05.Both sophomores Francis Lee and Sergio Gonzalez ran great races in the boys' rising star miles , placing 4th and 11th."You feel a lot of tension and excitement before the race. But once you grab the baton or hear that gun, the adrenaline kicks in and all your nerves fade away," said sophomore Francis Lee.

Junior Catrina McAlister competed in the invitational 3200 meter race. With the crowd going crazy for the petite Arcadia junior, Catrina flew to an jaw-dropping personal best of 10:27. She had gapped the leaders by the one mile mark, and widened it as the race continued. "It was weird to see such a big gap, but I kept telling myself, `This is my track,’” Catrina said.

Junior Ammar Moussa also raced in the 3200--arguably the deepest, most competitive one in meet history, and the highlight of the meet. Sixteen boys ran under 9:00 for the 3200, led by an astonishing performance from Jake Hurysz of North Carolina, who lit up the track with an 8:49. Ammar also dipped under the 9:00 mark, finishing in 8:58. Despite running a personal record, Ammar was disappointed with his race. "It was not the weekend I was looking for. I wanted to come out here and prove myself," he explained.

Many top marks also emerged off the track and on the field. Michael Woepse of Mater Dei cleared 17 feet in the men’s pole vault, of which AHS'senior David Lim was a part of.

There are only two days a year when one can go stargazing under the glare of brilliant stadium lights. There’s also only one place to do it. And at the 43rd Arcadia Invitational that took place from Apr.8 to 10 at Salter Stadium, the stars have never shone brighter. The official start to the boy’s decathlon and girl’s heptathlon took place on Apr. 8. Junior Gunnar Nixon of Sante Fe High School stole the show, scoring a US#2 all-time 7573.The Arcadia Invitational now boasts the top three nationally ranked marks in the men’s decathlon. The Friday session on Apr. 9, also dubbed the “burning batons” section of the invitational, resulted in several new state leaders, and even some US leading times. Our own Apaches took to the track and set it on fire. Even against strong competition, the Girls Varsity track team took 1st in the seeded 4 by 800 with a time of 9:36. The team consisted of seniors Veronica Yee and Casandra Llamas, junior Catrina McAlister, and freshman Glindyll Mancia. Three teams of distance boys also ran in the Friday night 4 by 1 mile. The first team, who ran in the invitational portion,finished third. The second and third teams, who ran in the seeded race, took 2nd and 15th, respectively. Sophomore Alejandra Quintero took part in the open women’s 3200 meter race, finishing in a personal record of 11:08. With such amazing results from Friday’s relays, Saturday came with very high expectations from spectators, coaches, and athletes alike. The Apache girl’s 4 by 400 team participated in the open Saturday morning sessions, and ran a season best of 4:05. Both sophomores Francis Lee and Sergio Gonzalez ran great races in the boys’ rising star miles , placing 4th and 11th. “You feel a lot of tension and excitement before the race. But once you grab the baton or hear that gun, the adrenaline kicks in and all your nerves fade away,” said sophomore Francis Lee. Junior Catrina McAlister competed in the invitational 3200 meter race. With the crowd going crazy for the petite Arcadia junior, Catrina flew to an jaw-dropping personal best of 10:27. She had gapped the leaders by the one mile mark, and widened it as the raced continued. “It was weird to see such a big gap, but I kept telling myself, ‘This is my track,’” Catrina said. Junior Ammar Moussa also raced in the 3200--arguably the deepest, most competitive one in meet history, and the highlight of the meet. Sixteen boys ran under 9:00 for the 3200, led by an astonishing performance from Jake Hurysz of North Carolina, who lit up the track with an 8:49. Ammar also dipped under the 9:00 mark, finishing in 8:58. Despite running a personal record, Ammar was disappointed with his race. “It was not the weekend I was looking for. I wanted to come out here and prove myself,” he explained.Many top marks also emerged off the track and on the field. Michael Woepse of Mater Dei cleared 17 feet in the men’s pole vault, of which AHS’ David Lim was a part of. True to our motto, when the lights went on, the stars came out.

There are only two days a year when one can go stargazing under the glare of brilliant stadium lights. There's also only one place to do it. And at the 43rd Arcadia Invitational that took place from Apr.8 to 10 at Salter Stadium, the stars have never shone brighter.The official start to the boy's decathlon and girl's heptathlon took place on Apr. 8. Junior Gunnar Nixon of Sante Fe High School stole the show, scoring a US#2 all-time 7573.The Arcadia Invitational now boasts the top three nationally ranked marks in the men's decathlon.The Friday session on Apr. 9, also dubbed the "burning batons" section of the invitational, resulted in several new state leaders, and even some US leading times.Our own Apaches took to the track and set it on fire. Even against strong competition, the Girls Varsity track team took 1st in the seeded 4 by 800 with a time of 9:36. The team consisted of seniors Veronica Yee and Casandra Llamas, junior Catrina McAlister, and freshman Glindyll Mancia.Three teams of distance boys also ran in the Friday night 4 by 1 mile. The first team, who ran in the invitational portion of the meet,finished third. The second and third teams, who ran in the seeded race, took 2nd and 15th, respectively.Sophomore Alejandra Quintero took part in the open women's 3200 meter race, finishing in a personal record of 11:08.With such amazing results from Friday's relays, Saturday came with very high expectations from spectators, coaches, and athletes alike.The Apache girl’s 4 by 400 team participated in the open Saturday morning sessions, and ran a 4:05.Both sophomores Francis Lee and Sergio Gonzalez ran great races in the boys' rising star miles , placing 4th and 11th."You feel a lot of tension and excitement before the race. But once you grab the baton or hear that gun, the adrenaline kicks in and all your nerves fade away," said sophomore Francis Lee.

Junior Catrina McAlister competed in the invitational 3200 meter race. With the crowd going crazy for the petite Arcadia junior, Catrina flew to an jaw-dropping personal best of 10:27. She had gapped the leaders by the one mile mark, and widened it as the raced continued. "It was weird to see such a big gap, but I kept telling myself, `This is my track,’” Catrina replied.

Junior Ammar Moussa also raced in the 3200--arguably the deepest, most competitive one in meet history, and the highlight of the meet. Sixteen boys ran under 9:00 for the 3200, led by an astonishing performance from Jake Hurysz of North Carolina, who lit up the track with an 8:49. Ammar also dipped under the 9:00 mark, finishing in 8:58. Despite running a personal record, Ammar was disappointed with his race. "It was not the weekend I was looking for. I wanted to come out here and prove myself," he explained.

Many top marks also emerged off the track and on the field. Michael Woepse of Mater Dei cleared 17 feet in the men’s pole vault, of which AHS’s David Lim was a part of.Other AHS participants in one of the country's most prestigious meets include juniors Brandon Wu and Ismail (Izzy) Naeem. "Everything about it was a great learning experience, whether you watched or participated there's always something you can learn," said Izzy. Our parents have taught us the virtue of being honest and carrying out the promises that we make. True to our motto, when the lights went on, the stars came out.